Asia

China says the United States government has “abruptly” informed Beijing that it has to close its consulate in the Texan city of Houston, calling Washington’s decision “political provocation.” China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said on Wednesday that the US government had informed Beijing of the abrupt decision on Tuesday. …

Amnesty International has called on Malaysia to withdraw the caning sentences recently handed down to a group of persecuted Rohingya refugees from Myanmar, saying the “barbaric” practice “amounts to torture.” Last month, Malaysia’s local media said that a court on Langkawi Island had sentenced a group of Rohingya refugees to …

The State Department has ordered the closure of China’s Houston consulate in a move that the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Wednesday called an “outrageous and unjustified” provocation. The move was just the latest incident in a relationship between the two superpowers that has become increasingly strained. State Department spokesperson Morgan …

China has evacuated thousands of residents after a landslide blocked a river and created a barrier lake that threatened to submerge neighbouring villages, as large parts of the country reeled under some of the heaviest rainfall in decades. The landslide occurred on Tuesday when 1.5 million cubic metres of earth …

The United States is restricting 11 Chinese companies from buying American technology and other goods because it says they’re linked to alleged human rights violations in Xinjiang. The list compiled by the US Department of Commerce covers a range of companies, including biotech firms and those that manufacture wigs and …

China threatened a “forceful counter-attack” on Tuesday in response to Britain’s announcement that it would suspend its extradition treaty with Hong Kong following Beijing’s introduction of a national security law for the former British colony. On Monday, British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told parliament the extradition treaty would be suspended …

Private operator Space X has launched South Korea’s first military communications satellite into space as Seoul looks to build up its defence capabilities against its nuclear-armed neighbour, North Korea. South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), in a statement on Tuesday, said the ANASIS-II satellite lifted off from the Cape …

China has warned the UK against further damaging their relationship, in response to reports that London will suspend its extradition treaty with Hong Kong as a result of Beijing’s new national security law there. The British media has reported that Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab is expected to announce the suspension …

Beijing’s embassy in Myanmar says the United States is resorting to “disgusting” actions aimed at containing China by tarnishing its image and driving a wedge between the country and its neighbors over the disputed S The Chinese mission in Yangon said in a statement on Sunday that Washington was “outrageously …

Nearly four million people in India’s northeastern state of Assam and neighboring Nepal have been displaced by heavy flooding from monsoon rains, with dozens missing as deaths rose to at least 189, government officials said on Sunday.  The overflowing Brahmaputra River, which flows through China’s Tibet, India and Bangladesh, has …

Britain on Sunday, July 19, accused Beijing of “gross, egregious human rights abuses” over its “deeply troubling” treatment of ethnic and religious minorities in China’s western Xinjiang region. Rights groups and experts estimate that more than one million ethnic Uighurs and other Turkic-speaking minorities have been rounded up into a …

Nearly four million people in India’s northeastern state of Assam and neighbouring Nepal have been displaced by heavy flooding from monsoon rains, with dozens missing as deaths rose reaching at least 189. The overflowing Brahmaputra River, which flows through China’s Tibet, India and Bangladesh, has damaged crops and triggered mudslides, …

The leader of the Taliban has reshuffled his team of negotiators ahead of peace talks with the Afghan government, adding four close aides to the group, sources in the movement said Saturday. Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada made the appointments to strengthen his control over the team, a Taliban commander, based at …

The fourth Long March-5 rocket, to be used to carry out China’s first Mars exploration mission, was vertically transported to the launching area at the Wenchang Space Launch Center in south China’s Hainan Province on Friday. The carrier rocket, coded as Long March-5 Y4, is planned to be launched in …

Engorged with more heavy rains, China’s mighty Yangtze River is cresting again, bringing fears of further destruction as seasonal floods that already have left more than 140 people dead or missing have grown in force since last month. The rains are putting renewed pressure on the massive Three Gorges Dam …

As violence surges across the country, Afghan security forces on Friday said at least 72 Taliban militants, including four top commanders, have been killed in operations in three provinces. In a statement, the Afghan National Army said 32 more insurgents were also injured in ground and air offensives in northern …

Tuk-tuks are three-wheeled motor vehicles widely used in Sri Lanka and southern Asia. The vehicle has also gained popularity worldwide, including Africa and the Middle-East. But these three-wheelers can race — as Sri Lankan tuk-tuk drivers showed at the Red Bull Tuk It earlier this year. The fourth edition of …

A strong, deep earthquake shook inland Papua New Guinea on Friday, and officials said there were no immediate reports of casualties or major damage. Shaking was felt in the capital Port Moresby but not strongly. The U.S. Geological Survey said the 7.0 magnitude quake was 80 kilometers (53 miles) deep. …

Fresh coronavirus outbreaks, even in places as far-flung as China’s western Xinjiang region, are prompting moves to guard against the pandemic, as the number of cases approaches 14 million. India on Friday said it had surpassed 1 million cases, third only to the United States and Brazil, with more than …

Taiwan is conducting annual military maneuvers in which it is also drilling with live fire for the first time in 13 years, amid tensions with mainland China. Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen was expected on Thursday to observe the 36th edition of the five-day annual Han Kuang war games, which will …